w00t w00t booyah

Kid went to school this morning.

I got a call half an hour into the teaching day telling me to remove my child. AT ONCE.

Jim lost the day after losing the morning to replacing tires (you remember the tires), turning around to pick him up, go home and dig up the necessary documents and then going to over to the home public school to enroll him.

Didn't make it in time to keep him there today, but he did get introduced to his new class. Jim took the paperwork home to complete it and answering the questions just about broke him.

You see, children are to be in school, no matter if they live in a home or a cardboard box and the forms ask you about it.

I've moved up the placement testing for new school, but kid can get a taste of public school for the next few days and I can get an idea from a fresh set of eyes of what really this is all about.

Kid hated school. I think it's as simple as that. He had no motivation to comply and bucked authority at every opportunity. They, on the other hand, have no motivation to try to do anything with him and threw him out. Such is the prerogative of a private school.

But I've had enough - so much for the rosy image of a cute little school with cute little classes and sweet, adoring teachers. BAH.

For my next trick, I try to explain what happened to him. Yeah. Six years old and they don't want you anymore. THAT is going to be a fucking walk in the park.

I wish I had hated that school. Took kid in this AM to do a 'ride-along' (Jim will be there all day with him) at the Montessori school down in RPV, right on the ocean and OMG can you smell the money-ville.

Right now, I'm glad I don't have to commit to it. Because it was awesome. It's also more expensive, further away from home - will force a work schedule change, putting me home even later than I get there now and putting our work schedules even further out of sync than they are now. More expensive. In every way.

But damn, he did well. And I could see the wheels turning in that little head.

I also had to do the hated 'talking about me while I can hear you' stuff with teachers - about the adoption, about how smart I think he is...all those things, and I know he hates it. Well. Sorry.

But if they show us the door later this week - and this place will accept him - there are worse things. Not cheaper things, worse things.

I just wish I didn't have to think in those terms. Yanno?

He's so much better this week. If this is a teacher issue and not a school issue - well, bother it won't matter much. Current school only has one classroom per grade, a teacher issue IS a school issue.

I just wonder what the 'better' parent thing is. Better school fit and only sees me rested on the weekends - or the make it work fit and more present parent time?

Dither bother bah.

Yesterday, I got an amazing phone call. Turns out, calling your congresscritter DOES work to your advantage. The best part is that I'd likely call him anyway, as much trouble as we've been in - Ted, save my bacon! Someone is stealing my bacon! It's BAAAACON!!!

Gawdernit.

I'd better laugh. It's that or kill things.

Turns out that being told I had to wait for public school to open, enroll my kid, walk him into a classroom and watch him struggle and fail out of it before an IEP could be *considered* let alone received, was not true. (Even thought that was what I had been told, just about as fast as possible before I could be hung up on.)

See, I got a call from a Director, relative to the LAUSD for the division of special education - after a number of people had been consulted - during a summer break, mind; they had to go out and find these guys on their vacations - and it was enlightening, to be blunt.

One, LAUSD and the State of California do not abandon you after they accredit your private school and leave you to cope with accommodation if you child needs it. There actually is a 'shadow' to what you would expect in the public system for the private - it's not as robust, mind but it's there - and my kid is enrolled in school. If he needs an IEP, he will get one. I will not need to move him to get it. And if current school can be 'fixed' to accept kid with the presenting features (hell, this week alone makes me wonder where exactly the problem IS anymore), I can't imagine they would refuse the services to make it happen.

He might get it in his home district - or he will get it in the nifty one the school lies in. That will come next two weeks or so.

Monday, his teacher went on vacation...and I brought in a doctor's note for kid. Tuesday, he goes on field trip and sticks the landing. The rest of the week has gone as well or better.

At home, kid is still waking up checking for us in the wee hours - and the night after the field trip, woke up calling for his teacher not to forget where he was. "Miss Angie, I'm right here!"

That's not every night, but often enough still to motivate us in the daylight hours to find a way to make it stop.

But the sheer amount of vibrating in place seems to be waning a bit. We've run into other kids and teachers from the old school too lately - it's definitely something in favor. I've also been actively working to find things to 'put back' from routines held from old school. It means hash browns for breakfast from Burger King once in a while, and playing video games instead of talking to me - but.

What have I learned.

You don't quit. You don't stop being a pushy broad and if you're scared witless, it's okay for that to work in your favor.

And there's a lot more to this - at least in the State of California - than I thought. More to come, I am sure of it.

But now, I think I can start picking up other things where they left off and stop doing this 110% of my waking time. For a while. Works in progress, things in motion - that sort of thing.

Yesterday, I got an amazing phone call. Turns out, calling your congresscritter DOES work to your advantage. The best part is that I'd likely call him anyway, as much trouble as we've been in - Ted, save my bacon! Someone is stealing my bacon! It's BAAAACON!!!

Gawdernit.

I'd better laugh. It's that or kill things.

Turns out that being told I had to wait for public school to open, enroll my kid, walk him into a classroom and watch him struggle and fail out of it before an IEP could be *considered* let alone received, was not true. (Even thought that was what I had been told, just about as fast as possible before I could be hung up on.)

See, I got a call from a Director, relative to the LAUSD for the division of special education - after a number of people had been consulted - during a summer break, mind; they had to go out and find these guys on their vacations - and it was enlightening, to be blunt.

One, LAUSD and the State of California do not abandon you after they accredit your private school and leave you to cope with accommodation if you child needs it. There actually is a 'shadow' to what you would expect in the public system for the private - it's not as robust, mind but it's there - and my kid is enrolled in school. If he needs an IEP, he will get one. I will not need to move him to get it. And if current school can be 'fixed' to accept kid with the presenting features (hell, this week alone makes me wonder where exactly the problem IS anymore), I can't imagine they would refuse the services to make it happen.

He might get it in his home district - or he will get it in the nifty one the school lies in. That will come next two weeks or so.

Monday, his teacher went on vacation...and I brought in a doctor's note for kid. Tuesday, he goes on field trip and sticks the landing. The rest of the week has gone as well or better.

At home, kid is still waking up checking for us in the wee hours - and the night after the field trip, woke up calling for his teacher not to forget where he was. "Miss Angie, I'm right here!"

That's not every night, but often enough still to motivate us in the daylight hours to find a way to make it stop.

But the sheer amount of vibrating in place seems to be waning a bit. We've run into other kids and teachers from the old school too lately - it's definitely something in favor. I've also been actively working to find things to 'put back' from routines held from old school. It means hash browns for breakfast from Burger King once in a while, and playing video games instead of talking to me - but.

What have I learned.

You don't quit. You don't stop being a pushy broad and if you're scared witless, it's okay for that to work in your favor.

And there's a lot more to this - at least in the State of California - than I thought. More to come, I am sure of it.

But now, I think I can start picking up other things where they left off and stop doing this 110% of my waking time. For a while. Works in progress, things in motion - that sort of thing.

Okay. Two things happened yesterday.

One, school got a letter from therapist (at my urging) outlining kid being seen in a therapeutic environment, meeting criteria for separation anxiety.

Two, his teacher is on vacation and he has a substitute.

So...that means at the end of the day, the substitute decides kid is going on field trip tomorrow to go bumper bowling with the rest of his class.

Phone call, everything. They called both of us until they reached one of us. (Me? On phone dealing with appointments. Go figure.)

Jim already had the day off to take him to the new school to check them - so that had to be rescheduled, but. He's going along on field trip - he just can't ride the bus with kid to do it. I'm fine with that.

So - in one fell swoop, I have kid back on field trips and parent allowed to attend and observe. Note things one and two.

I've told Jim I want answers. Too good. Waaaay too easy, with the month and a half we've put in.

If this is a teacher issue, not a school issue - end result is the same, but I'm going to be even less impressed.

But - I hope kid has a great time. He's earned it.

Me? Waiting for the other shoe to fall.

Big Boy School called - we've got our spot, and it begins June 6th.

That means Xander will be transitioning from one preschool to another, and starting kindergarden in September at the new school.

I'm thrilled. It's a third of the cost less than his current placement, and it's a fantastic school.
I'm terrified. His current placement has been an absolute rock since he came home, and my absolute go-to for everything.
I'm sad. Here's another huge change I have to walk and talk this kid through. I have to. But dammit, I don't LIKE it.

It's closer to home, open earlier, doesn't close for the holiday season - just the actual days like work does, closes later, is next to a real, live protected wildlife estuary...and is full of strangers.

And I have to pay full tuition, even if I don't want him to start with them full time. If I want to ease him into this, I'll be paying two full rides for the months I do this.

One month or two? I have to find out.

Shit, the plumbing/house was 60% of our money the last 30 days. But by June, two tuitions for one month? Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Oh, who am I kidding? I HAVE TO FIND A WAY, THIS IS IT.

Fuckaduck.

Big Boy School called - we've got our spot, and it begins June 6th.

That means Xander will be transitioning from one preschool to another, and starting kindergarden in September at the new school.

I'm thrilled. It's a third of the cost less than his current placement, and it's a fantastic school.
I'm terrified. His current placement has been an absolute rock since he came home, and my absolute go-to for everything.
I'm sad. Here's another huge change I have to walk and talk this kid through. I have to. But dammit, I don't LIKE it.

It's closer to home, open earlier, doesn't close for the holiday season - just the actual days like work does, closes later, is next to a real, live protected wildlife estuary...and is full of strangers.

And I have to pay full tuition, even if I don't want him to start with them full time. If I want to ease him into this, I'll be paying two full rides for the months I do this.

One month or two? I have to find out.

Shit, the plumbing/house was 60% of our money the last 30 days. But by June, two tuitions for one month? Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Oh, who am I kidding? I HAVE TO FIND A WAY, THIS IS IT.

Fuckaduck.